Knitting machine



June 18, 1935. F. R. PAGE KNITTING'MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug.2, 1953 INVENTOR FRANK R. PAGE BY HIS ATTORNEYS June 18, 1935. F. R.PAGE 2,005,632

- KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2, 1931f 3' Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTORFRANK R. PAGE BY HI? ATTORNEYS MMJM June 18, 1935. F. R. PAGE KNITTINGMACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Au 2, 1953 INVENTOR FRANK R. PAGE BY HISATTORNEYS I Patented June 18, 1935 UNITED STATES KNITTING rrAomNE FrankR. Page, Brooklyn, Y., assignor to Scott 8: Williams, Incorporated, NewYork, N. Y., a

corporation of Massachusetts Application August 2, 1933, Srial No.683,378

10 Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machines and more particularly toknitting machines having pattern mechanisms and it is an object of thisinvention to provide improved'controlling 5 -means for the patternmechanisms such that the control of the pattern mechanisms is more flexible, and the number of courses which must intervene between patternchanges is reduced without materially restricting the number or varietyof patterns which can be made upon the pattern mechanism of the machineto which the invention is applied.

- It is also an object of this invention to provide in a circularknitting machine'having pattern means controlling the formation of floatstitches, 'means whereby change or racking of the pattern means iscontrolled by the pattern means, and it is also an object of thisinvention to provide in a circular knitting machine having pattern meanscontrolling the formation of float stitches and pattern meanscontrolling a plurality of yarn guides -for forming horizontal stripes,means whereby the operation of the yarn guide controlling means iscontrolled by the pattern means governing the formation of the floatstitches.

In'the drawings: I

Fig. l is a partial horizontal section through the head of a circularknitting machine constructed in accordance with this invention, someparts being broken away to show other parts more clearly and some of thepartsbeing shown in operated positions; I

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with some of the operating parts indifferent positions;

shown in Figs. 1 and 2, parts being broken away 7 to show other partsmore clearly; and

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of other of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and2.

In the drawings the invention is shown in con- I nection with a circularknitting machine of the Scott and Williams type, such as is shown in theapplication of Albert E. Page, Serial No. 359,- 962, filed May 2, 1929,Patent No. 1,969,853, issued Aug. 14, 1934 and it comprises a revolvingneedle cylinder 260 the needles of which are controlled by the usualknitting cams and pattern jacks (not shown). The jacks are selected inthe usual manner by reader cams I pivotally mounted on auxiliary patterndrum or trick wheel 'I,9l rotatably mounted on the pin.l90 fixed in thebed 66 plate B. The trick wheel "I is operated step-by- Fig. 3 is a viewin elevation of some of the partsstep by means of a ratchet 800 formedon'the lower portion of the drum and engaged by a pawl 805. The pawl 805is moved forward to engage a tooth of the ratchet"800"'by a spring 805connected to the pawl and to the bed plate B and 5 the pawl is operatedto shift the ratchet wheel 800 by a lever 805 to which the pawl isconnected intermediate the ends of the lever 805 One end of the lever805 is pivotally mounted upon a pin 805 fixed in the bed plate B and theother end of the lever is connected by link 806 to a bracket which ispivotally supported on post 808 fixed to' the bed plate B. Slidablymounted in the bracket 80'! is a spindle till!) having a roller 809mounted on its lower end and having a spring 809 surrounding its upperend and confined between the bracket 80'! and a cotter-pin 809 insertedin an openingin the spindle 809 Spring 809 tends to hold the spindle inits upper position as shown in Fig. 3 but permits of the spindle beingmoved 20 to a lower position. In the upper position of the spindle 809the roller 809-is positioned to engage cams on the high speed gear 65 atone distance from the center of the gear while in the lower position ofthe spindle 809 the roller 809 engages cams closer to the center. of thegear In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 the cams 8I0 on the gear areengaged. with the roller in the upper position of the spindle and thecams 8l0 as well as the cams MD are engaged by the roller when thespindle is in its lower position. To operate the spindle there has beenprovided a lever 850 pivotally mounted on the bracket 801 and having oneend positioned to engage the upper end of the spindle 809 and its otherend connected to 35 alink or push rod 85! arranged to be operated in theusual manner from the main pattern or control mechanism (not shown). Theengagement of the pawl 805 with the ratchet 800 may be controlled by aguard 802 operated from the pattern chain or drum as described inapplication Ser. No. 359,962, so that the pawl 805 may be prevented fromoperating the drum; allowed to operate the drum upon each reciprocationof the pawl or allowed to operate the drum only to the usual low toothin the ratchet so as to position the drum for the starting of thepattern.

The machine to which this invention is applied is also provided with anauxiliary pattern or striper drum 'H0 mounted upon an axle HI suitablysupported in the machine frame and operated by the engagement of a pawlH3 operated by a-cam on the main drive shaft with the teeth of a ratchetwheel H5 .attached to one end of the drum. The striper drum I I0 isprovided with. 56

cams I20 which engage and operate bell crank levers IN and through pushrods I22 control the usual yarn guides (not shown) and the yarns fedthereby to the needles. Operation of the drum I It] causes the insertionand removal of the various yarns in accordance with the patterndetermined by the positions of the cams on the drum and may provide forthe changing of the yarns at predeterminedintervals so as to formhorizontal stripes of yarns of different colors in the fabric knit. Theoperation of the drum H0 by the pawl I I3 during those parts of thefabric when strip-.

ing is not desired, as during the make-up, pressoff, the heel and toe,is prevented by a plunger 900 mounted in a lever Bill which is operatedby suitable cams 902 on the main drum I20, the plunger 900 engaging thepawl H3 and holding it raised to prevent the pawl engaging the teeth ofratchet wheel I I5. At one point the cams 982 are of such a height thatthe pawl I I3 will engage all of the teeth of the ratchet wheel H5 buttooth H6 which is of less height than the other teeth thus providingmeans for permitting of the racking of "the striping drum H0 to auniform or starting position in which the low tooth H6 of the ratchetwheel H5 is beneath the pawl H3.

The reader cams I65 pivoted on the pin I66 are arranged to be held incontact with the butts on the, selector bars in the trick wheel orauxiliary pattern drum I9! or moved inwardly when the butts are notpresent on the bars by means of springs I16 secured to the cams I65 andto a pin or post 111 secured to the bed plate B. The cams I65 arearranged to be held in inactive or inoperative positions in which theyare not operated in accordance with the presence or absence of the buttsof the selector bars of the trick wheels in a plurality of groups, threesuch groups being shown in Fig. 4, by means of contacts I90, I90 198, ofsuificient width to span all of the cams of the group and carried bylevers I80, I80 180 pivotally mounted upon a post I83 fixed in the bedplate B. Links I82 connect the levers I88, 180 and I to mechanismoperating from the main drum in accordance with the pattern or otherrequirements of the fabric knit.

Associated with each of a plurality of the groups of cams I65 is a lever165, these levers being controlled by the levers 180, I88 and by thepresence of absence of butts on the selector bars on the trick wheel I9lin the same manner as are the cams I65 but the ends of the levers "55are bent away from the needle cylinder so that the levers do not contactwith the jack butts. To the ends of levers H35 are connected ends ofrods 828 the other ends of which extend through openings in one arm of abell crank lever 82l whichis pivotally mounted on a bracket fixed onpost 808 and has its other arm in position to engage the arm of thelever 850 which contacts with the spindle 809. Collars 822 fastened uponthe rods 82!] engage the bell crank lever 82| and operate the spindle809 to its lower position when either of the levers I65 is movedinwardly by its spring 116 at those positions of the trick wheel inwhich there are no butts on the selector bar to contact with the leverI65. Also associated with the cams I65 is a lever I65 pivotally mountedon the pin I66 and operated and controlled in the same manner as are thelevers I65. In the drawings a single lever I65 is shown associated withthe cams I65 of the lowermost group but it will be understood that adifierent number of groups of cams I65 may be arranged and that a lever165 may be associated with each group of cams I65,

the arrangement shown being chosen for the pur- I poses of illustrationonly. To one arm of the lever H55 is connected one end of a rod 824, theother end of which extends through an opening in one arm of a lever 825pivotally mounted on the pin 805. A collar 826 secured upon the rod 824provides for the operation of the lever 825 upon movement of the leverI65 by its spring I16 when the trick wheel I9I is turned to a positionin which the selector bar has no butt to be engaged by the lever 165* Insome pattern arrangements rod 824 can be operated by one of the leversI65 and the special lever I65 therefor omitted. Extending through anopening in the other end of lever 825 is one end of a rod 826, the otherend of which is pivotally connected to the end of a crank arm 821 fixedupon a shaft 828 journalled in brackets 829 carried by the machineframe. A collar 830 secured to the rod 826 causes operation of the rodwhen the lever 825 is operated by the rod 824. Also fixed upon the shaft828 is an arm 830 the outer end of which is adapted in one position ofthe arm 830 to engage beneath the pawl I 13 which operates the striperdrum I I0 and prevent the operation of the striper drum by the pawl. Aspring 83! mounted upon the shaft 828 and having its ends secured to themachine frame and arm 830 tends to hold the arm 830 with its end engagedbeneath the pawl H3 in position to prevent operation of the drum H0 bythe pawl. The arrangement of the levers and rods is such that when lever165 is not engaged by a butt on a selector bar on the trick wheel IS!the arm 820 is withdrawn from beneath the pawl H3 and the pawl permittedto operate the striper drum, the spring 116 overcoming the spring 83L Inthe knitting of a fabric the operation of the machine is as described inthe Page application, Serial No. 359,962; except where modified by themechanism described above. Where the machine has progressed on thefabric to a point where the pattern mechanism is operative each leverI65 when released by its detent I88, 188 or I will be operated by thebutts on the selector bars of the trick wheel I! to control the positionof the roller 809 on spindle 808'and determine the rate at which thepawl 805 ratchets the auxiliary pattern drum and thus determines thelength along the wale, that is, the number of courses comprised withineach pattern determined by a group of the cams I65. With levers I65 inthe different groups of cams I65 it is, of course, possible to have thepatterns determined by the difierent groups of cams I65 of differentlengths along the wale. Where a lever I65 is associated with each groupof cams I65 having a lever I65 or where a rod 824 is connected to eachlever the control by the drum I9! of the rate at which it is operated-bythe pawl 805 permits of a control of thewidth of the stripes, that is,the number of courses in each stripe by the striper drum I I0 and thiswidth may differ in the stripes i'ormed while the striper drum H0 isoperated in conjunction with the different groups of cams I65.

I claim- 1. In a knitting machine having a plurality of yarn guides andpattern jacks cooperating with the knitting instrumentalities, a patterndrum controlling the operation of said yarn guides, means for operatingsaid drum, an auxiliary pattern drum controlling the operation of saidpattern jacks, and means controlled by said auxiliary pattern drumcontrolling the operation oi! said pattern drum operating means.

' 2. In a knitting machine having a plurality of yarn guides and patternjacks cooperating with the knitting instrumentalities, a patterncontrolling the operation of said yarn guides, means for operating saiddrum, an auxiliary pattern drum controlling the operation of saidpattern jacks, and means controlled by said auxiliary pattern drumcontrolling the operation of said pattern drum operating means and saidauxiliary pattern drum;

3. In a knitting machine having a plurality oi? yarn guides and patternjacks cooperating with the knitting instrumentalities, a pattern -21 wcontrolling said yarn guides, an auxiliary pattern drum controllingsaidpattern jacks, a rotatable member having cams thereon arranged in aplurality of tracks, operating means for the auxiliary pattern drumoperated by said cams and means controlled by said auxiliary pattern forcontrolling the operation of the patterndrum for the yarn guides and theoperation of said operating means for the auxiiiary pattern drum by the,cams of either track.

4. In a knitting machine having a plurality of yarn guides and patternjacks cooperating with the knitting instrumentalities, a pattern drumcontrolling the operation of said yarn guides, means for operating saiddrum, an auxiliary pattern drum controlling the operation of saidpattern jacks, a rotatable member having cams thereon arranged in aplurality of tracks, means for operating said auxiliary pattern drumoperated by the cams of either track and means operated by saidauxiliary pattern drum for'controlling the pattern drum operating meansand to eflect the engagement of the auxiliary pattern operating meanswith the cams of either track.

5. In a knitting machine having a plurality oi yarn guides and patternjack's cooperating with the knitting instrumentalities, a pattern drumcontrolling said yam guides, an auxiliary pattern drum controlling saidpattern Jacks and having. a ratchet, a pawl engaging said ratchet tooperate said auxiliary pattern drum, a rotatable member having camsthereon arranged in a plurality of tracks, means for operating said pawlarranged to engage the cams of either track and means controlled by saidauxiliary pattern drum for controlling the operation of the, patterndrum for the yarn guides and the operation of said pawl'operating meansby the cams of either track.

t. In a knitting machine having a plurality of yarn guides and patternjacks cooperating with the knitting instrumentalities, a pattern drumcontrolling said yarn guides, operating means for said pattern drum,means biased to prevent operation of said pattern drum by said operatingmeans, an auxiliary pattern drum controlling said pattern jacks andhaving a ratchet, a pawl engaging said ratchet to operate said auxiliarypattern drum, a rotatable member having cams thereon arranged in aplurality of tracks, means for operating said pawl arranged to engagethe cams of either track and means controlled by said auxiliary patterndrum for operating said biased means to permit operation of the patterndrum and to effect operation oi said pawl operating means by the cams ofeither track.

7. In a knitting machine having pattern jacks cooperating with theknitting instrumentalities, pattern jack selecting means, a pawl andratchet for operating said jack selecting means, a rotatable memberhaving cams arranged in a plurality of tracks thereon, means foroperating said pawl by said cams and means controlled by said jackselecting means for effecting operation of said pawl by the cams of anytrack.

8. In a knitting machine having pattern jacks cooperating with theknitting instrumentalities, a pattern drum controlling said jacks, arotatable member. having cams thereon arranged in a phirality of tracks,operating means for said pattern drum arranged for operation by saidcams and means operated by said pattern drum for eiiecting operation ofsaid drum operating means by the cams of any track.

9. In a knitting machine having a. plurality of yarn guides and patternjacks cooperatingwith the knitting instrumentalities, a pattern drumcontrolling said yarn guides, operating means for said pattern drum,means biased to prevent operation of said pattern drum by said operatingmeans, an auxiliary pattern drum for controlling the pattern jacks andmeans controlled by said auxiliary pattern drum for operating saidbiased means to permit operation of the pattern drum for the yarnguides.

10. In a knitting machine having a plurality of yarn guides and patternjacks cooperating with Y the knitting instrumentalities, a pattern drumcontrolling said yarn guides, operating means for said pattern drum, amain pattern drum, means operated by said main pattern drum controllingthe operating means for the pattern drum for the yarn guides, anauxiliary Pat-, tern drum for controlling the pattern jacks and meanscontrolled by said auxiliary pattem drum for controlling the operating.means for the pattern drum for the yarn guides when said main patterndrum renders said operating means operative. FRANK R. PAGE.

